Where Azaleas Bloom (5 page)

“And I was taught to look out for myself,” she replied.

“Then do it,” he said with frustration.

She regarded him with a tolerant expression. “Coffee?”

“Are you trying to change the subject?”

“Yes,” she said, already pouring the coffee into a mug.
“Otherwise, I fear our working relationship is going to get off to a very bad
start. Besides, you seem to be caffeine-deprived. That would explain the cranky
mood.”

Mitch shook his head and sighed. “You’re probably right.” He
set the laptop on the table. “Is this okay for now?”

“Sure. I’ll make room for it on my desk later.”

“I have the printer in the truck.”

“Looks as if the laptop will work with mine,” she said. “Let’s
hold off on that till we know.”

“Okay, but I’m bringing you supplies tomorrow—paper, ink
cartridges, whatever you need.”

“Fair enough.”

He took a sip of coffee, then opened the laptop and turned it
on. “Pull up a chair and sit here next to me,” he said.

Lynn dragged a chair closer and peered at the screen, trying
not to notice the heat radiating from his body or the solid masculine strength
suggested by all that muscle. She gave herself a mental shake. She hadn’t spent
this much time noticing a man’s body in a long time. Now surely wasn’t the time
to start.

“You paying attention?” Mitch asked, amusement suddenly
threading through his voice.

She blinked over at him. “Of course. Why?”

“You seemed a little distracted, that’s all.”

She waved a little notebook and pen in his direction. “See.
Ready to take notes.”

“Written anything yet?”

“So far you haven’t even opened the program.”

He grinned. “Fair enough. It’s password-protected, okay?” He
told her the password, which she wrote down. Then he walked her step by step
through the billing system and the payroll program. “Make sense so far?”

Lynn nodded. “So far, but then I haven’t actually had to use it
yet.”

He pulled several pieces of paper from his back pocket. “Notes
for the billing,” he explained. “You’ll find the customers, their addresses and
their account numbers in the system. Mostly people pay about fifty percent
upfront, the remainder when the job’s completed. If there’s an interim bill for
fixtures, that’s sent out when the expense is incurred. My fee is usually paid
once everybody has signed off on the punch list that indicates all the details
are done to the customer’s satisfaction.”

“So those notes of yours indicate exactly what sort of bill I’m
sending out, right?”

He winced. “Well, in theory they should. Since I usually know
what they’re for, I might not have written it down on these pages. Why don’t I
do that before you get home this afternoon, make sure you have everything you
need?”

“Then I’ll just fiddle around with the system until I leave for
Raylene’s this morning, see if I understand how it works.”

“Sounds good to me. Any questions?”

“None so far, but I imagine I’ll have plenty for you by this
afternoon.”

“Okay, then. I’ll get out of your hair. See you later,
Lynn.”

Suddenly he seemed anxious to leave, which suited her since she
didn’t understand why being close to him got to her the way it did.

“See you,” she said, determinedly focusing on the computer
screen and not on Mitch.

She knew he hesitated before leaving, but eventually he walked
away, closing the back door securely behind him. Locking it, too, if she wasn’t
mistaken. Even though the gesture exasperated her just a little, she couldn’t
seem to stop smiling.

* * *

The woman was going to be trouble, Mitch thought as he
walked back to Raylene’s. Oh, not when it came to the work. He had every
confidence she would pick up on that with ease. No, it was this attraction
simmering between them. It had always been there, for him, anyway, but thanks to
Grace’s interference, he was forced to acknowledge that on some level it had
never died the way he’d thought it surely had.

As for Lynn, well, he couldn’t say with certainty what she was
feeling beyond gratitude, but there’d been a moment there when he’d had the
feeling she was as attuned to him as he was to her.

His cell phone rang just before he headed into the back door at
Raylene’s. Caller ID told him it was his older son.

“Hey, Nate. What’s up?”

“Just checking in, Dad. What’s up with you?”

“Working, the same as always.”

“You still building that addition for the police chief and his
wife? How’s it going?”

“It’s coming along. Did you really call just to check on my job
progress, or do you need money?”

“Dad, you give me and Luke plenty of money. Can’t I just call
to see what you’re up to?”

“Always glad to hear from you,” Mitch confirmed. “But you’ll
pardon me if experience has just taught me that it’s usually a financial
shortfall that earns me a call at this hour of the morning.”

“Well, I’m solvent,” Nate assured him. He hesitated, then said,
“Actually, I was thinking of coming home for the weekend. Is that okay?”

“You know it is,” Mitch said eagerly. “You don’t even have to
ask.”

“Um,” Nate began, suddenly sounding nervous, “would it be okay
if I brought someone with me?”

Mitch stopped in his tracks. “Since you’ve hauled half a dozen
friends home with no notice, I’m guessing this is a female sort of someone.”

“Yeah. Her name’s Jo, short for Josephine, if you can believe
it. Does anyone name their girls that anymore?”

“Obviously, some parents do,” Mitch said. “I’ll look forward to
meeting her.”

“Okay, so here’s the deal. I need to know if you’re gonna freak
out if she stays in my room.”

Mitch sucked in a deep breath and lifted his eyes heavenward.
“How about a little help here, Amy?” he murmured, trying to think how she would
handle this. He knew as well as anyone that a twenty-one-year-old was likely to
be sleeping with anyone he was dating seriously. And he had to assume this was
serious if Nate wanted to bring the girl home. And yet he wasn’t sure he was
quite ready to sanction such behavior under his roof.

“Sorry, pal. Not acceptable.”

“But, Dad,” Nate began.

“Your mom always had firm rules about this sort of thing,”
Mitch reminded him. “You knew them when you went away to college. What you do at
school is up to you, but in our house guests stay in the guest rooms.”

“It’s not like she’s a guest exactly,” Nate said. “I wanted to
tell you this when we got there, but I guess I’d better do it now. We’re
engaged.”

Mitch felt the sudden, unexpected sting of tears in his eyes.
More than ever, he wished Amy were alive for this moment. She’d know what to
say, how to react. He, however, had to force his enthusiasm. Nate was so darn
young. His life hadn’t even started yet.

“Engaged, huh?” he said, trying to inject an upbeat note into
his voice. “Congratulations, son. I mean that. I wish your mom were here. She’d
be so excited for you.”

“I know,” Nate said quietly. “It’s kinda hard knowing she’ll
never get to meet Jo, give her a stamp of approval, if you know what I
mean.”

Mitch smiled. “I know exactly what you mean.” Amy had always
been careful about sharing her opinion of the girls their sons had dated, but
they’d known anyway. She’d been terrible about hiding her feelings. And those
feelings had clearly influenced both Nate and Luke. The lousy choices had never
lasted long, even though she’d kept her mouth clamped firmly shut.

“So, now that you know about the engagement, can she stay in my
room?” Nate asked.

Mitch was still struggling with the idea of his son being ready
to make such a huge commitment. The sleeping arrangements seemed minor all of a
sudden.

“How about we talk about that when you get here?” He wanted to
see for himself just how committed the two of them seemed to be. Or maybe he was
just trying to postpone the inevitable—admitting that his son had grown up on
him.

“Okay, Dad,” Nate said, conceding the point. “See you tomorrow
night.”

“Drive carefully.”

“Always,” Nate replied.

There’d been a time when Nate might have rolled his eyes at the
admonition. Luke, too. But since Amy’s tragic accident, none of them took
anything for granted when it came to driving. Mitch knew one thing with one
hundred percent certainty—neither of his sons would ever drive drunk. And even
sober, they’d drive responsibly and defensively. He hated the way they’d had to
learn that lesson, but he had to admit he was glad they’d taken it to heart.

Now he just had to pray that Nate had taken to heart everything
Amy and Mitch had taught him about the responsibility that went along with love
and marriage.

5

“I
heard she might have to apply for food
stamps,” a woman shopper at Raylene’s boutique said. Her entrance set off the
bell that would have let Lynn know she was there. Her voice, unfortunately, was
plenty loud enough to carry to Lynn in the back room, stopping her in her
tracks. Lynn knew she should make her presence known, but instead, flushed with
embarrassment, she waited to see what might be said next.

“You’re kidding!” her companion responded. “Isn’t Ed playing
golf at Pinehurst or someplace like that this week?”

Lynn felt a chill. There was no doubt at all that they were
speculating about her and the financial mess she was in. How was she supposed to
go out there now and wait on them? Unfortunately, Raylene had just left for the
bank and Adelia was off today. She had no choice.

She drew herself up, plastered a smile on her face and walked
out front as if she hadn’t just overheard the two women talking about her.
Worse, as soon as she saw them, she recognized them.

“Good morning, Alicia. How are you? And you, too, Kelly
Ann?”

Both women, who’d been in school with her and now had kids
about the same ages as Lexie and Jeremy, blushed furiously.

Alicia recovered first. “Lynn, I had no idea you were working
here,” she said.

“Apparently not,” Lynn said wryly. Unable to stop herself, she
felt compelled to add, “Unless, of course, you set out to embarrass me.”

As soon as she’d uttered the bold comment, Lynn formulated an
apology, but to her astonishment, Kelly Ann walked over to her and gave her an
impulsive and apparently sincere hug.

“Don’t you dare think a thing like that,” Kelly Ann admonished.
“If anyone in this town ought to be embarrassed, it’s that no-account husband of
yours.” She said it with unmistakable and obviously heartfelt disdain.

Lynn regarded her with gratitude. “I appreciate the sentiment,
but please, if you hear people talking about what’s going on with us, try to
quiet them down. I don’t want the kids to hear this kind of gossip. The
situation is tough enough on them as it is.”

“We’ll put a stop to it,” Alicia promised, obviously eager to
make amends for her careless comments. “I just wasn’t thinking. You know me. If
I know something, I tend to blab it. I’ll watch it from here on out. I know how
I’d feel if it were me people were talking about and my kids overheard it.”

“When did you start working here, hon?” Kelly Ann asked,
thankfully changing the subject.

“Just a couple of months ago, part-time. Raylene has Adelia
Hernandez working full-time. I fill in on weekends or when either of them is off
during the week.”

“Does Raylene have you on commission?” As soon as she’d asked,
Kelly Ann turned pale. “Is that too personal? I was only asking because I
thought maybe we could make up for being so thoughtless before.”

Lynn nodded. “Salary, plus commission,” she confirmed.

“Well, then, Alicia, we need to whip out our credit cards and
get busy,” Kelly Ann said cheerily.

Lynn, who hadn’t bought so much as a cheap T-shirt for herself
since the separation, watched in awe as the two women quickly spent more money
than she made in a month.

Kelly Ann stood back and surveyed their purchases with
satisfaction as Lynn put everything into bags. She gave Lynn a wide grin.

“That ought to make up just a little bit for us coming in here
and being so insensitive,” she said.

“I appreciate the sales,” Lynn said. For once it didn’t seem to
matter whether the purchases were made out of guilt or pity. She simply focused
on what a nice boost they’d be to her paycheck.

“Do you have a regular schedule?” Kelly Ann asked. “If you do,
we’ll make sure to come in when you’re working.”

“No. I’m usually here three days a week, but I’m never sure
which days those might be. It depends on when Raylene or Adelia need to be off,”
Lynn said. Even though she was picking up more hours from Mitch, she added, “And
if you happen to hear of anyone else looking for someone part-time or full-time,
let me know.”

“We surely will,” Alicia promised.

Kelly Ann gave Lynn another hug before they left. Lynn stared
after them. While it grated to recall how the encounter had begun, she felt
better about how it had ended. It had been a revelation, in fact.

Maybe people in town really would take her side over Ed’s.
She’d wondered about that. He was the son of a beloved insurance executive whose
company handled policies for most everyone in town. Ed was now the big shot in
charge, a position that commanded a lot of respect. She’d been so intent on
running their home and being involved in a few things at school that her own
circle of friends had grown smaller.

Just thinking about the possibility that she could have moral
support while this awful mess played out buoyed her spirits. It was possible
that the deliberate attempts to isolate herself to avoid the judgments she
thought people might be making had been unnecessary. It was time to hold her
chin up and start facing people.

* * *

When Raylene returned from the bank, she looked at the
receipt book and whistled. “Nice sales!”

Lynn chuckled. “Guilt sales,” she said, then explained what had
happened.

Raylene shook her head. “I’m glad it turned out okay and you’ll
make a nice commission, but I hope those two learned a lesson.”

“I doubt it,” Lynn said with a shrug. “You grew up in this
town, same as me. People talk. It’s not going to change.”

Raylene sighed. “I suppose, but I don’t have to like it,
especially when I see one of my friends hurt by their thoughtlessness.”

“I’m not hurt, not really,” Lynn said. “In fact, it was
eye-opening. I assumed everyone was going to take Ed’s side, so I’ve been
avoiding people. He’s the big wheel in town. He prides himself on knowing
everybody and taking real good care of them.”

“He’s not taking such good care of you, though, is he?” Raylene
said knowingly. “That will matter to people, Lynn. Family counts in this town,
and the way a man treats his family says a lot about his own moral character. It
wouldn’t surprise me a bit to see him lose business over the way he’s handling
this divorce. Carter was saying just last night that once the insurance policy
for the police department is up in a few months, he wants to negotiate with
another company.”

“You’re kidding,” Lynn said, astounded. “Because of me and the
kids?”

“Because a man who screws up his personal life can’t be trusted
with other people’s business,” Raylene said. “And that’s just about a direct
quote. Of course, Carter is one of those stand-up guys with a strict moral code,
which makes him a fantastic police chief but a little tough for those of us with
flaws. You remember how we met, the day Sarah’s little boy ran off while I was
supposed to be watching him? Carter didn’t think much of me then.”

Lynn recalled the terrifying incident all too well. “Give the
man a break. He didn’t understand about the agoraphobia at that point. And he
did apologize for his judgmental attitude after Travis filled him in.”

“He did,” Raylene said, smiling, “And proved he had plenty of
redeeming qualities.”

“The man adores you,” Lynn said. “Flaws and all, assuming you
have any. He certainly stuck right by you while you were fighting the
agoraphobia and couldn’t leave the house. I think we all marveled at that.”

“He was a saint, no question about it. And he’s been a rock for
his sisters since their parents died, but he has his judgmental moments. Of
course, when it comes to dealing with Ed, I happen to agree with his decision.
I’m moving all my policies the first chance I get, too.”

Lynn gave her a wry look. “Much as I love the idea of
retribution, you do realize that if Ed’s business goes under, my situation will
get even worse.”

Raylene stared at her with dismay. “Well, fudge! I hadn’t
thought of that.”

“Believe me, I have,” Lynn said. “I have nightmares about it.
One second I want the man to wind up a pauper, the next I realize he could drag
me and the kids down with him.”

Raylene’s expression turned thoughtful. “Okay, then, we need to
find you another job, something better than what I can offer you for now. You’re
smart. You’ve been running a household for years, without a lot of help from Ed,
I imagine. You have skills that can be used in the workforce. We just have to
focus on creating the perfect resume.”

“I did snag another part-time job just yesterday,” Lynn
admitted.

Raylene’s eyes lit up. “Really? Tell me.”

“Mitch hired me to handle his billing and payroll. I just
started learning his system this morning. We’re going to go over a few more
things later this afternoon when I get home from here.”

A grin spread across Raylene’s face. Lynn suspected that the
twinkle in her eyes had nothing at all to do with Lynn having found more
work.

“Mitch, huh?” Raylene said, clearly fascinated. “How’d that
happen?”

Lynn didn’t want to mention her foolish decision to check out a
clerk’s job in a dangerous section of town, so she said simply, “He knew I was
looking for something part-time and mentioned that he could use some help. The
best part is I get to work from home.”

Raylene’s grin spread. “The best part, huh? I’d have thought
that would be spending more time with Mitch. The man is a serious hunk.”

“So Grace has mentioned,” Lynn said wryly. “That seems to be
the consensus in certain circles.”

“And you hadn’t noticed?”

“I’ve known Mitch since grade school. He’s an old friend,
that’s all.”

“Maybe that’s what he was in school, when you were gaga over
Ed, but circumstances have changed,” Raylene reminded her. “You could do a lot
worse. And don’t forget I’ve seen the way he looks at you when you’re both at
the house for dinner.”

“That’s concern, nothing more. He’s worried about the toll the
divorce is taking on me and the kids. That’s the kind of man he is.”

“And there’s something wrong with being thoughtful and
compassionate?”

“Of course not, but it’s not exactly the basis for some big
romance, the way you’re hinting.”

Raylene laughed. “Honey, I’m not even hinting. I’m telling you
flat-out you need to take another look at the man before someone else comes
along and snaps him up. He’s been immune to most of the passes I know have been
directed his way, but you can’t count on that resistance to last forever.”

“Come on, Raylene,” Lynn protested. “How can I even think about
him that way? He’s still grieving for Amy, and my divorce isn’t even final. For
all I know, we could wind up losing the house and having to move to be closer to
one of my sisters. Why start something that doesn’t have a chance?”

Raylene gave her a chiding look. “I am way too familiar with
that defeatist attitude. I kept trying to let Carter off the hook. I worked
really hard not to fall in love with him, because I thought my situation would
never change and I refused to have him tied down to a woman who couldn’t even
leave the house. The thing was, he didn’t want to give up. He fought for what we
had. I think you and Mitch could have that same kind of staying power.”

“Based on the way he’s looked at me at dinner?” Lynn said
skeptically. “You’re still lost in some romantic fog. Not every situation has a
fairy-tale ending.”

“I’m just saying you shouldn’t give up without a fight.
Assuming you’re even the tiniest bit attracted to him, that is,” she said,
regarding Lynn slyly. “Are you?”

Lynn hesitated, then said, “Okay, I am the tiniest bit
attracted.” She held two fingers maybe an inch apart. “This much, anyway.”

Raylene laughed. “Couples have started with a lot less. Come to
dinner tonight. Mitch usually stays, as you know. Let me get the lay of the
land.”

“No way,” Lynn said, shuddering at the thought. “I do not want
to sit there with you studying us like we’re specimens under a microscope. It
would be too embarrassing.”

“Are you saying that you’ll never join us for dinner again?”
Raylene asked with a frown. “The last thing I meant to do was scare you
off.”

“You didn’t. Not entirely anyway. I just don’t think I can
pretend it’s simply another casual dinner after all this talk of attraction and
looks and such. Maybe in a couple of weeks, but not tonight.”

Raylene relented and backed off. “If you change your mind or
Mitch talks you into it, the offer’s open. You’re always welcome.”

“What makes you think Mitch will even attempt to talk me into
it? When would he do that?”

“You did say he’s coming over when you get home from work,
right? I imagine I can plant the idea in his head before then,” Raylene said
with confidence. “I promise I’ll be more subtle about it than I was with
you.”

“Have you caught some kind of matchmaking fever? I hear it’s
been going around in Serenity.”

“What can I say? It’s a community curse,” Raylene said
unrepentantly. “Now go on home and freshen up so you’ll be stunning when Mitch
drops by. You’ve done more than your share of selling in here this morning.
You’ll have a nice fat commission in your check this week.”

“I am not setting out to impress Mitch,” Lynn said with what
she hoped sounded like suitable indignation.

“Of course you’re not,” Raylene said innocently. “I’m just
thinking a little eyeliner to go with that mascara you put on this morning, a
touch of gloss on your lips and maybe another swipe of that blush.”

Lynn groaned. “Was I that obvious?”

Raylene laughed. “Not to Mitch, I’m sure. He probably just
noticed you looked more beautiful than ever. Only women pay attention to the
little, telltale details like extra makeup.”

“I am so humiliated,” Lynn said. “I feel like a teenager who
got caught drawing hearts and initials on the front of her school notebook. And
I know exactly how that felt, because it happened way too often when my crush on
Ed first developed. I do not want to be that lovesick girl ever again.”